Cow Corner Blog

India beat rain to clinch ODI series

Sun Nov 23 08:16AM

So, the tourists' miserable trip continues. Their quest to salvage some pride in this series starts on Wednesday. With India in this kind of form, perhaps hopes shouldn't be raised too high though. Be sure to join Cowers to see how it all pans out in Cuttack.

England 178-8 (21.5 overs) England need 20 to win D/L: WICKET! Collingwood goes for maximum and is caught by Sachin Tendulkar at mid-wicket. Stuart Broad strolls out for a swing and a miss and INDIA WIN BY 19 RUNS TO CLINCH THE SERIES! 

Scorecard  

Match gallery

England 178-7 (21.4 overs) England need 20 to win D/L: WICKET! Patel collects Collingwood's shot and Swann had already begun the run that he had to make, and it's an elementary whip-off for Munaf Patel - surely the simplest ODI wicket he'll ever take.

England 178-6 (21.3 overs) England need 20 to win D/L: Munaf Patel is the man to deliver the final over. He begins by bowling a terrible wide and Collingwood knocks a FOUR past short fine leg to keep it interesting. Some confused Indian fielding gives England a few more but three sixes into 20 runs required won't go and it's all over.

England 171-6 (21 overs) England need 27 to win D/L: Ishant Sharma bowls a wide, but he won't mind one bit. Harbhajan Singh goes for the run out on Collingwood but misses and concedes another single - You have to wonder why he bothered. Collingwood hooks a shot towards square leg but a man is at the rope. Collingwood hits a FOUR to finish the over, and England need 27 from the final six balls!

England 161-6 (20 overs) England need 37 to win D/L: WICKET! Samit Patel went for the boundary at mid-off but Gambhir gets down low to juggle the ball before sealing the catch and surely the one-day series for India! Unless England can get 37 runs off TWO overs, it is over. No pressure then, Graeme Swann.

England 161-5 (19.5 overs) England need 37 to win D/L: Zaheer Khan grabs Patel's defensive knock but misses the wicket with the attempted run out. England are picking up all the ones and twos in the world but the match - and the series - is slipping away before their eyes. That's thanks in no small part to Zaheer Khan.  

England 155-5 (19 overs) England need 43 to win D/L: Collingwood on strike against Harbhajan, and he knocks to gully where Gambhir does well to stop the boundary but can't stop the double. Samit Patel goes for the boundary but it rolls to point. Collingwood clips another FOUR past fine leg for a crucial boundary, but the run rate is over 14 now.

England 145-5 (17.4 overs) England need 53 to win D/L: WICKET! Flintoff is caught well by Zaheer Khan at extra cover off the slow ball and England's hopes appear to walk off the field with him! Samit Patel comes in and hits FOUR off his first ball, so we'll see, but that Powerplay was key for England.

England 141-4 (17.3 overs) England need 57 to win D/L: Last over of the Powerplay and Ishant Sharma will take the bowling. Huge over this. Collingwood drives a single back past Sharma for a single. Flintoff steers to square leg and the ball bounces in front of Harbhajan Singh and sends him the wrong way for FOUR! 

England 134-4 (16.5 overs) England need 65 to win D/L: WICKET! India grab a vital wicket and it's Owais Shah! Khan's full toss skips up and Shah clips it high and Sachin Tendulkar is under it! A great stand of 72 from Shah as Collingwood passes him on the way in.

England 134-3 (16.4 overs) England need 65 to win D/L: England have taken the Powerplay, holding out on the option has turned out to be a wise move. Zaheer Khan's deliveries are doing well to nullify the threat, limiting Flintoff to little jabs and pushes for singles. Excellent display from Khan.

England 131-3 (16 overs) England need 68 to win D/L: A tight over form Yuvraj Singh, though he concedes two leg byes. There's confusion in the England batting as Flintoff goes for a single and is run out! The umpire calls for the replay... NOT OUT! England made to sweat but they're grateful for the opportunity for an extra break.

England 126-3 (15 overs) England need 72 to win D/L: Shah smashes another SIX over mid-wicket - off Munaf Patel this time! Five more singles from that over and things are looking good as Steve Harmison brings on the drinks.

England 112-3 (14 overs) England need 86 to win D/L:  Harbhajan Singh delivers on the full and FLintoff duly obliges with a hit to the boundary that Yusuf fails to stop. Harbhajan then sees his next delivery fair walloped into the air and away for SIX... So high in fact in fact that it hits to side of the roofing! What a hit from Flintoff! These two get knocks off each ball to keep building this formidable partnership of 63 thus far, thanks in part to some nervous misfielding.

England 100-3 (13 overs) England need 98 to win D/L: Whisper it, but England could just make that rate is these two can make a stand. Owais Shah blasts Yuvraj singh into the stands over deep mid-wicket, and Flintoff dabs a double through gully and pushes two more singles either side of one from Shah.

England 88-3 (12 overs) England need 110 to win D/L: Sharma returns to the attack, and Harbhajan Singh does well to dive and stop Flintoff's shot going for a double. Owais Shah hits yet another FOUR to bring up his 50 off just 35 balls! Flintoff has a good long around as the field is shifted and guides a clip through the gully four another FOUR. The required rate is bang on 11 with 10 overs remaining...

England 76-3 (11 overs) England need 122 to win D/L: Harbhajan Singh back in now. Flintoff chips over mid-wicket for a neat single, before Shah sends another FOUR over mid on. These two may just be starting to build something here.  

England 69-3 (10 overs) England need 129 to win D/L: As Flintoff comes in, the required rate has stretched to over 11 per over. England get a little helping hand though as Shah hits down the ground and Raina saves at the ropes, but his toss up to Gambhir is missed and the ball goes for FOUR! Yuvraj can't help but laugh! Flintoff is digging in now a levels a crisp boundary to help England kick on.

England 52-3 (8.5 overs) England need 146 to win D/L: WICKET! Ishant Sharma's devilish seamer clips Pietersen's inside edge and the bails fly! The England captain has gone for five!

England 52-2 (9 overs) England need 146 to win D/L: Ishant steps way over the line and gives England a free hit. It's sloppy from Ishant Sharma, but you have to take a little bit of that from a man so gangly. Good follow-up delivery though.

England 48-2 (8 overs) England need 150 to win D/L: KP comes in and immediately clips a FOUR away to get off and running! 

England 44-2 (7.4 overs) England need 154 to win D/L: WICKET! Bell is seen off by H Singh! A swing and a miss from Ian Bell, foxed by the pitch from Singh!

England 43-1 (7.1 overs) England need 155 to win D/L: Nice reverse sweep from Bell off Harbajhan Singh past third man for FOUR. Shah then gets lucky as he tries a hook to mid-wicket that is dropped by Gambhir!

England 38-1 (7 overs) England need 160 to win D/L: Shah drags Khan out through mid-wicket for FOUR. He then swipes him over the same patch of grass for SIX! And then another FOUR! If England are to meet the required 11 runs per over needed, they'll need a lot more of that - 17 from that over. 

England 21-1 (6 overs) England need 177 to win D/L: Zaheer Khan is limiting Shah and Bell to awkwardly-hit singles, which will please his captain no end. Another good over from the Indian attack.

England 19-1 (5 overs) England need 179 to win D/L: Sharma hurls a couple of rapid deliverys that beat Bell, before the England man has to deflect away an well-disguised slow ball that comes in rather high from Ishant, but it runs for two. A lot has been made of Ishant Sharma's new hairdo, which is best described as interesting. Bell clips another to deep square leg for a single, before MS Dhoni almost runs out Shah.

England 15-1 (4 overs) England need 183 to win D/L: Patel to Shah, who strikes back down the wicket and as the bowler reaches to catch he knocks the ball into Bell's wicket! Huge appeals, but the third umpire sees that Bell was sharp enough to get his bat back in time. Well played Ian Bell. Shah then hits back with a well-struck FOUR over mid-wicket. However, all that can't detract from the fact that Munaf Patel has bowled an excellent over. India's first power play has finished, but they'll take the second right away. Ishant Sharma is warming up.

England 10-1 (3 overs) England need 188 to win D/L: Owais Shah walks out, and gets a leg bye from Patel. In the next over he drives right back past Khan for England's first boundary. Zaheer Khan is testing him but Shah rolls another boundary through mid-wicket.

England 1-1 (1.2 overs) England need 197 to win D/L: WICKET! Patel to Bopara, who drives through mid-off but Ishant Sharma stretches all of his 6ft 5' frame to take a sensational catch! What a start from India!

England 1-0 (1 over) England need 197 to win D/L:  Four dot balls from Khan before Bopara knocks a single, but they'll need more than that to get the nine runs an over needed to win here! 

Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell are coming out to bat now. The power plays will be one of four overs and then two of two overs. India can use three bowlers for four overs each and two for five. Bopara will face Zaheer Khan to get us underway... 

So, England will chase for 198 (D/L) to win this one, a total raised thanks to yet another formidable perfomance at the crease from India. They'll be out in just a tick...

India 166-4 (22 overs):  Samit Patel will have the final over to bowl and manages to keep it fairly economical, limiting both Dhoni and Yuvraj to a pair of defensive singles each. WICKET! Samit Patel gets Dhoni with a yorker that hits leg stump! What a key over this could turn out to be from Patel! However, Pathan comes out for the final ball and registers one final SIX for India! Both MS Dhoni and Pathan hit sixes off their first balls!

India 156-3 (21.2 overs): WICKET! Swann comes back in and on his second delivery Gambhir suffers the same fate as Sehwag and Anderson gobbles up at deep forward! Yuvraj makes up for it somewhat as he sweeps a SIX over deep cover! MS Dhoni then sends Swann away for another maximum with a textbook strike mid-wicket.

India 141-2 (20 overs): Pietersen takes his turn to deliver. His first delivery concedes a double before Yuvraj blasts his off-breaker over mid-wicket for SIX! Another ball flies almost into orbit before landing in the crowd behind deep extra cover for another maximum.

India 124-2 (19 overs): Yuvraj Singh comes in at number four and immediately sends Swann right back down the ground for FOUR. Yuvraj knocks another past the close-in Prior for a cheeky single. Good over from India.

India 117-2 (18.1 overs): WICKET! Graeme Swann comes into the attack and delivers on the full with his first ball. Sehwag takes the bait and hoists it up to Anderson at deep forward!

India 117-1 (18 overs):  Samit Patel will resume the bowling. Virender Sehwag leathers it straight into the crowd over midwicket for SIX! Dear oh dear - this promises to be a long five overs. Sehwag knocks to mid-on for two before he's through with Patel.

So, India are about to return to bat for five more overs. With nine wickets remaining, this could be an all-out slogfest.

Play will start at around 15.45pm. The ground has dried sufficiently after that enormous shower, and the umpires have decided we can squeeze in a 22-over match. 

There will be an inspection at 3pm - the unpires will make a decision then. 

The rain is a lot harder now; really coming down, tropical-style. 

The players go off again! The rain has become persistent enough for the umpires to call on the covers. Sorry folks... 

India 105-1 (16.4 overs): Another delay as the man with the hammer comes out to bash a foothole at the bowler's end. It is a deep hole, to be fair, but there has been about twenty minutes wasted in total on that hole. The rain continues to fall. although it's only a drizzle at the moment. 

India 103-1 (16 overs): There is a light drizzle falling again, but play is going on for the moment. Sehwag gets away with two top-edges...as he reaches 50! His 32nd ODI half-century, and the crowd are on their feet. Later in Broad's over, a slow bouncer is pulled for four over square-leg. Huge SIX OVER MID-ON off the last ball as Sehwag opens his shoulders. India have started well after the rain delay!

India 82-1: OFF WE GO! Play is back underway. 

12.10: We should be underway in about 10 minutes. 44 overs a side, with just a ten-minute turnaround between innings. 

11.55: Sorry folk; there'll be another delay. More rain, I'm afraid. 

11.30: The news from the middle is that, all things being well, play will start at 11.50am our time. It remains a 50-over match, but the time between innings has been reduced. 

11.05: The rain has stopped after about half-an-hour of heavy showers; the ground staff are working at clearing the covers of the residual water...although further rain is forecast for the next hour or so. 

RAIN - AND LOTS OF IT! The players scuttle from the field as the rain pours down with India 82-1 from 14 overs. 

India 79-1 (13 overs): No sign of a second breakthrough for England. The groundsman has been on for a second time to bash at the wicket as another long and pointless delay halts the match. 80 minutes gone, 13 overs bowled. Pathetic.

India 75-1 (12 overs): England just don't seem to be bowling to any sort of plan today; KP is changing the field almost every ball...and India are still racing away. Anderson drops short twice...and is pulled through midwicket twice. With only three men on the leg-side, that was fairly brainless. 

India 61-1 (10 overs): Gambir is the new batsman - he has raced to 21 no from 11 balls! Broad appears to be a little scared of bowling straight at the left-hander, who is notoriously good off his legs. Flintoff has come into the attack at the other end. 

India 38-1 (7.5 overs): WICKET! THE DELAY DOES FOR TENDULKAR! The very next ball after the long delay...Broad pitches one up, it jags back a little and bowls Tendulkar! The crowd are stunned into silence!

India 38-0 (7.4 overs): Sehwag mis-times a couple of attempted pulls off Broad. England haven't really pitched too much stuff up so far this innings; plenty of balls back of a length...Sehwag gets a bit of width off the fourth ball of the over - and cuts well through cover. Bit of a delay as England complain about the footholes at the bowler's end. Completely unnecessary delay.

India 32-0 (6 overs): EDGED...AND THROUGH! Broad gets some extra bounce off a length; Sehwag nicks, but the ball goes high between Prior and Shah at first slip...neither went for it. Big chance wasted. Can Sehwag punish them? He slaps a four through point...Collingwood might have done better with his diving effort to stop it. Broad is incensed.

Scorecard  

India 22-0 (5 overs): Not a good start for England as India get off to a bit of a flyer. Anderson is clipped for four through midwicket as he searches for swing that isn't there. 

India 18-0 (3 overs): Sehwag is about as subtle as an axe in your skull. After Tendulkar delights the crowd with a flick off his legs for four off Broad, Sehwag batters successive boundaries off Anderson - the first a remarkable stand-and-deliver pull over mid-on. 

India 4-0 (1 over): The crowd explode as Tendulkar comes out to bat in his first ODI since March. Anderson takes the first over - and Sehwag greets the first ball with a huge swipe, the ball rocketing over cover for four.

08.55 - England: Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen (captain), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma. 

08.50 - The pitch looks a little damp, as there has been quite a lot of rain over the last few days in Bangalore. England should be able to get the white ball to dart around a little bit in the early overs, I reckon. 

08.40 - India have brought back the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar; no surprise there. He comes in to replace Rohit Sharma. 

08.30 - Pietersen wins the toss and decides that England will bowl - perhaps considering the Duckworth-Lewis method later on. England are unchanged from the side that was narrowly beaten in the last match - Harmison does NOT come in to replace Anderson, as some had suggested.

08.19 - Some slightly disappointing news: the weather isn't particularly promising for today; it is a bit gloomy out there already, and there is rain forecast for later in the day. 

08.12 - Hi there, cricket fans! Welcome to our coverage of the fourth ODI; can England finally find some form, or do we have another spanking on the cards?

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